Conventionally known is an autonomous underwater vehicle (hereinafter may be referred to as an “AUV”) which does not require electric power supply from a mother ship and sails in water by a built-in power source for seabed work, seabed investigation, and the like. PTL 1 discloses an underwater docking system for docking the AUV with an underwater station capable of charging the AUV in water and performing data exchange with the AUV in water.
According to the underwater docking system of PTL 1, the AUV is provided with a capturing arm including a tip end having a hook, and the hook of the capturing arm of the AUV that sails is hooked on a capturing member provided at the underwater station. Thus, the AUV docks with the underwater station. The capturing member is formed in a V shape that narrows from an AUV entering side toward a tip end of the capturing member. Therefore, even when an entering angle of the AUV deviates to some extent, the capturing member guides the hooked capturing arm to a middle portion of the V shape.